Officer in Charge for ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries
Officer in Charge – International Office for Migration
Permanent Secretaries
Invited Guests and Dignitaries
Ladies and Gentlemen    
 
Bula Vinaka and warm greetings.
Today marks an important event in our commitment to fight and eliminate child labor, forced labor and human trafficking from Fiji, and indeed from all our nations.
 
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, I begin with a brief background on the Alliance 8.7 Agenda which was agreed by the Fijian Government as part of Buenos Aires Declaration on 16^th November 2019 in Argentina.  The Fijian Government has continued to strengthen its policies to ensure we meet our obligations on Alliance 8.7. 
 
Fiji is identified as one of the countries to be a pathfinder nation in the 2017 area of eliminating all forms of Child Labor, Forced Labor in Human Trafficking.
 
I commend you all for joining hands in this fight. Together we can give our children a future that is free and for them to make informed decisions.
 
I acknowledge the International Labour Organization (ILO) for their continued guidance and supports towards the Fijian Government in ensuring that we meet our timeline and quest in reaching towards identified Sustainable Development Goals. And, our commitments to the SDG Alliance 8.7 to ensure the whole of Government’s approach.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, we need this approach to continuously review Plans, Policies and Programs to accelerate the action to eliminate child labor, forced labor and modern slavery from our societies. We must ensure that we give the best possible care and protection to our children as they are the future.
 
The task ahead requires a multisectoral approach and working together.
I am grateful to see many stakeholders today to work together on our common goals. And I commend you and your word in this area.
 
I also thank the United Nations development partners, including the International Office for Migration for their guidance and assistance towards the Fijian Government in implementing plans for the 17 SDG goals. It’s only through hard work and coordinated effort that we will achieve and make Fiji a better place to live and work.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, sadly Child Labor and Forced Labor are still prevalent in the 21^st Century. The Fijian Governments stands with the International Community making it clear that persistence of child labor; forced labor and human trafficking in today’s world is intolerable.  
They represent a violation of fundamental human rights and undermine economic and social development.
 
In Fiji this year, the government held events to mark the 140^th year of the end of indentured Indian labor to Fiji. In many ways and forms, this form of labor migration was forced labor, and commonly called out by human rights activists at the turn of the 1900, as another form of slavery. These commemorative historical events have been inclusive of awareness of blackbirding of Pacific islanders known as “Kanakas”, particularly from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu as another disgraceful form of forced labor, to Fiji, Queensland in Australia and as far as Peru. In both instances, the use of forced child labor, was institutionalized, and children as young as 9 years old worked adult hours and adult tasks in Fiji’s colonial plantations. 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, it seems unthinkable that almost a century and half later, we are still addressing issues from that era.  Thankfully, global opinion is united against such oppression of people, and such acts are illegal across the world.
 
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals universally adopted by all 193 United Nations member states calls for “immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of worst forms of child labor including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms . 
 
Ladies and Gentlemen the 2013 Fijian Constitution under Chapter 2 of the Bill of Rights provides for a wide range of human as well as social and economic rights guaranteed to all Fijians.
 
As we move towards a child Labor free society, Section 10 of the Constitution provides for freedom from slavery, forced labor and Human Trafficking. Section 31 provides for Right to Education. While Section 41 provides for Rights of children, to name a few. We are indeed proud of our Government’s achievement in ensuring and giving a Constitution that provides theses guarantees for all Fijians.
 
Through progressive labor reforms and tripartite consultation, we have developed and enforced the Employment Relations Act 2007. This is strengthened by Health and Safety at Work Act 1996 and National Employment Centre Act 2009. Across these legislations and policies under it, the provisions and fundamentals of the ratified ILO 8 Core conventions, 4 priority conventions and 26 technical conventions, are being met in Fiji.  This is indeed an achievement for all Fijians. For our tripartite partners - the employers and workers organization.  We must continue to work hand in hand in ensuring that we attain decent work and employment growth for all Fijians.
 
My Ministry through the Labor standard services and the National Occupational Health and Safety services enforces laws for better and safe working conditions. We will continue to reform laws through our progressive Labor reforms programs to ensure better protection for all workers and employers in Fiji.  
 
Ladies and Gentlemen the fourth Global Conference on Sustained Eradication of Child Labor, hosted by the Government of Argentina in November 2017 provided an opportunity to further discuss the challengers faced.
 
The Fijian Government through my Ministry has pledged to act on child labor, forced labor and Human Trafficking. Not only that, but Fiji volunteered to be a pathfinder country in the Pacific on Alliance 8.7.  And we remain committed to leading the region in the eradication of all forms of forced labor, particularly that of children. Today provides an opportunity to reaffirm our actions and commitment on this.  It is an opportunity to protect and nurture the innocence of our children and the dignity of all people to choose when it comes to the right and opportunities to work.
 
Let us join hands and ensure that we move towards a better Fiji by eliminating all forms of child labor forced labor and Human Trafficking from our Society.  Globally we are all deeply concerned with the horrors of child labor. And while I am happy to report that we have minimal instances of it in Fiji, it remains a sad and more widespread problem in many parts of the world.
 
It not only deprives the young but also deprives the nation of their potential to rise beyond labor through education.
 
Ladies and gentlemen allow me to leave you with the words of Nelson Mandela (And I quote) “There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.” (end quote)
 
I wish you all the best for the two days of robust and informed deliberation and look forward to seeing dynamic resolutions and plans in your outcome statements.
 
Thank You
Vinaka Vakalevu